Buckle and the method of making it



April 1 6, 1929.

A. w. WADSWORTH BUCKLE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed Jan. 28, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Ari urWWadsworch. v

A TTORNE Y.

April 16, 1929. A. w. WADSWORTH BUCKLE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed Jan. 28. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i i.18. F16. 19.

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' I NV EN TOR. Wadsworth "ch PW A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

Lmteltiili outrun stares rarest oFFicE.

ARTHUR w. wanswonrn, or none: ri-ioruas, Knn'rncnir, Assronon To THE wens- WOR'lI-I WATCH CASE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, KENIUGKY, AL'ORPORATION OF KENTUCKY.

BUCKLE AND THE METI-IOID OF MAKING I'l.

Application filed. January 28, 1928. Serial No. 250,256.

My invention relates to anovel means and method of making buckles and more particularly to the manner in which the frames of the buckles are formed; this application be- 5 ing a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 152,817 filed December 6, 1926.

The objects of my invention are to provide a buckle the frame and. slide of which will be simple, efficient, economical to manufacture, neat and compact in construction and one which will enable the owner to make very fine adjustments without the necessity of punching a series of holes in the freeend of the strap, as is now the general practice with the ordinary buckles having one center tongue which passes through any oneof a series of holes in the free end of the strap.

Another object of the invention is toprovide an improved slide clamp which will positively hold the free end of the strap in any desired adjusted position within the frame and further to provide a slide clamp so constructed that the wearer will be C0111 polled to insert the free end of the strap in With these and other objects in view, my

invention consists in a buckle con'iprising a frame and a slide clamp wherein the slide clamp comprises three transverse bars two of which are connectedtogether by an upwardly forn'ied hump or arch am i the central bar of which is provided with an upturned lip all three of said bars being integrally connected together.

My invention further eons method of construction and tion locationand arranp ine'nt herein set forth and claimt-zd; a] ticle of manufacture.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of in liuickle detached from the strap;

ists in the n the combinaof parts, as

so as an ary improved frame, parts of which are broken away to show the construction of saidframe and the usual pin bar appearing in dotted lines;

Fig. 8 is a plan-view of the blank form shown in Fig. 12. of the buckle frame before being bent into the shape shown in Fig. 'i

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal vertical section of the buckle taken on the line 99 of Fig. 1, the pin bar and end of the straps 12 being shown by dotted lines;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of my improved bucklo slide ldig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the plain blank or first step towards forming the completed buckle frame; Fig. 12 illustrates the second step of fornr ing the buckle frame;

- Fig. 13 shows the third step of forming the buckle frame; Q

Fig. 14 shows thefourth step of forming the buckleframe; r j

Fig. 15 shows the fifth step of forming the buckle frame; k Fig. 16 shows the sixth step of forming the buckle frame; 7 i

Fig. 17 shows the seventh step of forming the buckle frame;

Fig. 18 shows the eighth step of forming the buckle frame; i

Fig. 19 shows the ninth step of forming the buckle frame; and I Fig. 20 is a bottom perspective view of the completed buckle.

' In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated and which shows a preferred construe tion, {provide a buckle for watch straps comprising a frame 1, slide clamp 2 and pin bar 3. The frame 1 is made from one piece of Ina-- terial, theblank l of which is substantially the shape shown in Fig. 11 with a notch in each corner and is provided with a central opening 5 on the second. operation, as clearly shown in Fig. 12. in order to stiffen the frame 1 and have the edges 6 and 7 smooth and finished, flaps 8 and 9 respectively, are next bent laterally and inwardly on dotted lines 10 and 11 (Fig. 8) as clearly shown in Figs. 5, 9 and 14. to 20, inclusive. Edge 12 of opening 5 is then bent laterally on dotted Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is plan view of my improved slide clamp; i

Fi l is a vertical section thereof taken on line i of if."

Fir is a vert. I sectioutaken on a plane corres nuiding to line-5 5 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6' is a vertical sectionof the buckle frame taken on a plane corresptaiding: to line 6 6 of Fig; 2;

Fig. '2' is a perspective view 0 the buckle line 18, thereby forming flange 14.- (Fig. 15) the inner side of which conceals edges 8' and l) ofend flaps 8 and 9, respectively (Fig. l6). The side walls '15 and 16 of frame 1 are formed whensidr flaps l7 and 18, re spectively are bent laterally, inwardly and downwardly on dotted lines 19, 20, 21 and 22, respectively (Fig. The bending of flaps 8, 9, 17 and 18 and edge 12, forming wall 14 is done by a set of forming dies (not shown) which dies also form top portion 23 (Fig. 14) into concavo-convex curve 24 (Fig. 15),

. thereby stiffening theframe 1. When flaps j are formed or bent into shape, holes 28 and '29, respective1y,are drilled therethrough to detachably receive the spring tensioned ends 30 of pin bar 3. Slide clamp 2 is formed of cross bars 31,32 and 33, respectively, which are spaced apartfrom each other and con- I nected by short end bars 34 and 3 l, thereby 1 forming slot and opening {10' (Fig. 4:).

Said slide clamp2 is also curved to conform with curved groove 27- of frame 1 and after being inserted within said groove, lip 35 integrally formed with cross bar 33 is then bent slightly upward, as shown in Figs. 4, 9 and 10, respectively. Hump or arch 33' disposed centrall ,of short bars 34 and 34 is intogrally 'ormed with cross bar 33 and cross bar 31, respectively (Fig. 3). Said hump or arch 33 tends to stiffen the slide clamp 2 and in addition to stiffening said clamp also acts as'a means for insuring proper positioning of the free end of the strap to be wedged within the buckle, thereb positively overcoming any danger of the ree end thereof being inserted in the wrong slot or of slipping or shifting in either direction within the buckle v after it has been adjusted upon the wrist or arm of the user.

Heretofore the chief objection to strapbuckles of the sliding bar type was that unless tension was maintained on the strap at allgtimes the free end wedged within the bucklew'ould have a tendency to work loose and, in some cases, entirely free itself from the buckl;

so I theimproved slide bar as shown is that, if

The chief advantage of abuckle having desired, thewearermay adjust the buckle so thatlthe strapabout the wrist is comfortably loose without the danger oflosing his watch through the accidental disengagement of the free end within the buckle. The lip 35 andarch 33 prevent the slide clamp 2 from disengagement within groove 27 of frame 1, 5 as clearly'shown in Figs. 9 and 20. The

looped'end '36 of strap 37 receives pin bar 3, theends 30 of which bar. are received by holes 28' and 29 in; sidewalls .15 and 16, re-

. spectively, of frame 1, thereby pivotally attaching said strap 37 to frame 1.

The application of my invention to use is as follows:

To engage the free end 38 of strap 37 insert said end under cross member 39 of frame 1 and cross bar 32 of slide clamp 2, then upwardly through slot 40 and over lip 35, then over arch 33' and cross bar 31, then downwardly under cross-member 41 of frame 1, as clearly shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9. When strap 37 is pulled taut, the tension on lip 35 moves slide clamp 2 towards cross member 39, thereby tightly wedging the free end 38 of strap 37 between said lip and said cross member.

It will be seen that with this construction, the buckle may be adjusted to any desired secured holding position upon free end 38 of strap 37, as is not the case with the present watch strap buckle of the ordinary construction.

To disengage the strap 37 from the buckle, simply remove the free end 38 of said stra from beneath cross member 41 of frame 1 and pull forward until slide clamp 2 releases said strap from wedging engagement between lip 35 and cross member 39, whereupon said strap may be easily withdrawn from said buckle. 7

An advantage of my invention is that it permits the use of plated metal in which the base metal, after the buckle is formed, is entirely concealed from view.

My invention is capable of modification without departure from the scope or spirit thereof, as for instance the slots adjacent the arch 33 may be omitted.

It will also be understood that variations in the steps of the operation may be made without departing from the invention as specified in the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a buckle frame for watch straps, a slide clamp comprising a larality of spaced apart transverse bars an intervening slots, said bars being connected with each other at their ends, a lip formed on one of said bars, and an arch connecting two of said bars to prevent the strap from being inserted through the wrong slotted opening and to strengthen said slide.

2. In combination with a buckle frame f or watch straps, a slide clamp comprising a plnrality of spaced apart transverse bars and intervening slots, said bars being connected with each other at their ends, a lip formed on one of said bars, an arch connecting two of said bars to prevent the strap from being inserted through the wrong slotted opening, and means whereby said transverse bars are stiffened, for the purposes s ecified.

3. As an article of manu acture, a buckle frame having end flaps and side flaps and composed of sheet metal provided with a contral flanged hole and with the end flaps bent inwardly upon said sheet metal and the side flaps bent upwardly, inwardly and downwardly, said downwardly formed portions be ing spaced apart fron'i said end flaps, for the purposes specified.

4E. The herein described method of forming a buckle frame and securing a slide-clamp therein consisting in first dieing out a blank of thin flat metal with a notch in each corner, then dieing out or forming a rectangular central hole therein, then enlarging said hole by bending the edges thereof outwardly at right angles to said flat metal blank and thereby forming a rectangular flange, then bending the end flaps at right angles to said flat metal in the same direction as said rectangular flange, then bending said end flaps inwardly against the body of said metal with the edges thereof engaging said rectangular flange, then bending the side flaps of said metal blank at right angles thereto, then trimming off the edges of said side flaps, then inserting said slide beneath said bent side flaps, then bending the edges of said side flaps downwardly whereby said slide is permanently held in slidable relation beneath said downwardly bent ends.

5. The herein described method of forming a buckle frame and securing a slide-clamp metal in the same direction as said rectangular flange, then giving the same a concaveconvex form, then bending said end flaps inwardly against the body of said metal with the edges thereof engaging said rectangular flange, then bending the side flaps of said metal blank at right angles thereto, then trimming ofi the edges of said side flaps, then inserting said slide beneath said bent side flaps, then bending the edges of said side fla' s downwardly whereby said slide is non nianei'itly held in slidaliile relation beneath said downi ardly bent ends.

6. The herein described method of forming a buckle frame and securing a slide-clamp therein consisting in first dieing out a blank of thin flat metal with a notch in each corner,

then dieing out or forming a rectangular cen tral hole therein, then enlarging said hole 3y bending the edges thereof outwardly at right angles to said flat metal blank and thereby forming a rectangular flange, then bending the end flaps at right angles to said flat metal in the Same direction as said rectangular flange, then bending said end flaps inwardly against the body of said metal with the edge. thereof engaging said rectangular flange, then bending the side flapsof said metal bl an k at right angles thereto and against the ends of said inwardly bent end flaps, then triniming olf the edges of said side flaps, then inserting said slide beneath said bent side flaps, then bending the edges of said side flaps downwardly whereby said slide is permanently held in slidable relation beneath said do anwardly bent ends.

7. The herein described method of forming a buckle frame consisting in first dieing out a blank of thin flat metal with a notch in each corner, then dieing out or forming a rectangular central opening therein, then enlarging said opening by bending the edges thereof at right angles to said flat metal blank and thereby formingaflange,then bending the end flaps 8 and 9 at right angles to said flat metalblank in the same direction as said flange, then giving the blank thus formed a concaydconvex curve, then bending said end. flaps 8 and 9 inwardly against the body of said metal blank with the edges thereof engaging said flange and concealed by the latter, then head ing the side flaps 17 and 18 at right angles against the ends of said inwardly bent end flaps 8 and 9, then trimming oil the edges of said. side flaps l7 and 18, then bending said side flaps 17 and 18 at right angles, then coinpleting the bending of said side flaps l? and 18 so as to form channels between the edges of said side flaps and said end flaps 8 and 9.

8. The herein described method of forming a buckle frame and inserting a slide clamp therein which comprises a blank substantially the shape as shown in Fig. 11 as the first step, a piercing operation forming central opening, as shown in Fig. 12, adrawing operation shown in Fig. 13 whereby the flange 14: is formed, a flap bending operation shown in Fig. 14, a curving operation, as shown in Fig. 15, a flap flattening operation, as shown in Fig. 16, a side'flap bending operation, as shown in Fig. 17, a trimming operation, as shown in Fig. 18, a side flap bending opera-V tion, as shown in Fig. 19, and a finishing operation as shown in Fig. 20.

9. A buckle having a frame provided with double walled side bars, a channel formed on the inner face of? each of said side bars, a slide mounted for longitudinal niiovenient in said channel and comprising a plurality of transverse bar's joined together'at their ends, an upturned. lip on one of said bars, and a raised arch connecting two of said bars, for the purposes specified.

ARTHUR W. l VADSWORTH. 

